


crybaby

by gumdropdead



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Female My Unit | Reflet | Robin, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Male My Unit | Reflet | Robin, Multi, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-26 09:15:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13854717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gumdropdead/pseuds/gumdropdead
Summary: It's been six years since Reflet last spoke to her brother. Six years since he disappeared from her life completely. Six years for him to explain now that he's back.





	1. prologue | reflet

**Author's Note:**

> i'm still super into fe:a and i don't think that's ever going to change

On a sunny afternoon, while sitting on creaky swings in a park in front of their school, he told her that she was wrong. He refused to meet her eyes, choosing to watch the cars enter and leave the parking lot. They sat in silence swinging back and forth, her seat moving a bit faster. She never liked to sit still. She never liked to be told she was wrong.

But for once she was happy to hear those words.

She remembers staring at the sand, kicking some up when she planted her feet down to stop swinging at the first few drops of rain. The only disappointment she felt that day was because they had to go home so early.

 

* * *

 

A few months later, while they sat on the couch excitedly talking about going into middle school, the doorbell rang. Their parents had always told them to never open the front door without an adult present but they were about to be middle schoolers! That’s practically an adult right?

Reflet had grabbed his hand, putting her finger in front of her lips to shush him as he protested, and walked towards the door as quietly as she could. The clanging and sizzling from the kitchen continued. Once at the door, she unlocked it and swung it open with more gusto needed but the sight left her speechless.

Standing in black and white was a man with grey hair tied in a high ponytail and a stern face like their father’s. But what had words stuck in her throat was the girl next to him, with dark skin and white hair like theirs. Her nose was little wider, her hair not as thick but her eyes were the same.

They learn her name is Aversa. They learn that she is their older sister.

 

* * *

 

Their mother had tried her best, they can tell, but finally she let’s go after a year. She loves Aversa as if she was hers but cannot forgive their father for what he did. Along with the house, their father takes him. Reflet’s last night there, she remembers laying on the floor of her old room with her brother, staring at the ceiling that used to be covered in glow in the dark stars.

“You remember when you said my middle name is cool?” She asked him. He hummed in response. “You can have it. It’s dumb to have two cool names, y’know?”

She doesn’t remember much after that week other than choked out thank you’s and goodbye’s.

 

* * *

 

Aversa shows up at their apartment not too long after with nothing but a duffle bag and apologies spilling from her bruised mouth. Mom lets her in without question. Reflet wants to tell her to leave, she can’t stay here, that it’s her fault this all happened in the first place.

But Aversa hands her a paper torn from a notebook with a username and number on it telling her the same things she told mom.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t take Robin with me.”

Reflet gently folds the paper and puts it in the pocket of her sweatpants before standing to hug her. It’s nice not feeling like an only child anymore.

 

* * *

 

**reflet** _Today at 10:54 AM_

hows your school lunch?? is it still sucky

i need to prove something to a friend

take pictures if possible

 

**robin** _Today at 10:56 AM_

lol it’s not that bad i guess.

it’s the same school so it’s pretty much the same but i’ll try my best.

 

**reflet** _Today at 10:56 AM_

oh damn i forgot our old school is k-12

well my old school your current school

i cant imagine being a freshman and sitting in the same classroom i was in for like third grade

 

**robin** _Today at 11:00 AM_

it’s really not all that weird!  

 

**reflet** _Today at 11:01 AM_

mmmmmm yea sure whatever you say rob

 

* * *

 

After sophomore year of high school Robin stopped responding. His number was disconnected and he was no longer active on any social media. For the second time in Reflet’s life she feels like she lost everything. She never stopped logging on to see if he would come back.

 

* * *

 

**robin** _Today at 2:09 AM_

hey ref.

i know it’s been a while and that i have a lot to explain. i’m really sorry.

but i’m coming home.

 

_reflet is typing..._

 

* * *

 

On a sunny afternoon, Reflet leans against Chrom’s car, struggling to stay awake as the sun’s light hit her. She had pulled an all nighter to talk to Robin (instead of working on her paper) and Chrom, being the great friend he is, had offered to drive her to see him. Her phone buzzes and she makes a rush to grab it from her back pocket, only to huff at the screen.

“Not him?” Lissa asks from the back seat of the car, leaning out the window to get a peek at her phone. She huffs herself when Reflet shakes her head. “Where is he? It’s hot out here, you know!”

“You didn’t have to come, Lis.” Chrom says before Reflet can reply.

“But I wanted to see what Reflet’s brother looks like! I didn’t even know she had a brother until this morning.” His sister whines. She leans out the window a little more to lightly smack Reflet’s leg. “What does he look like, huh?”

What did he look like?

“Uh...well, like me I guess? We’re twins, so…” Reflet glances at her phone and opens the camera to look at herself. Her hair is long, much longer than it was the last time she saw her brother, and in pigtails. “Maybe with shorter hair? It’s been a while.”

A sound leaves Lissa, like she was about to ask another question but was cut off by a car driving up and parking a few spots down from them. Reflet watches it, holding her breath as she waits for someone to get out the car. It seems like forever before one of the doors finally opens and Reflet finally breathes, disappointed to see a black haired woman get out the car. She watches the driver stretch and a man with orange hair get out from the back seat before losing interest. It’s not him. Of course it’s not him.

She’s about to open one of the many games on her phone to distract herself when Lissa grabs her shoulder and starts violently shaking her. “Reflet! Reflet look!”

“Lissa what-” She starts before she looks at what she had been yelling about. By the passenger side stands a man with dark skin, short white hair and her face. He’s laughing at something one of his friends said and without thinking, Reflet starts running in his direction.


	2. robin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long ride.

The drive had been long, exhausting, and full of anxiety. Of course Robin was excited too, to finally be out on his own, but he was nervous about being in a new town. His boyfriend had kept trying to reassure him that it was fine, not only was he from this area but Robin’s own family would be there to help him as well.  
  
His family…  
  
Robin had been staring at his phone’s screen for most of the trip. He had been talking to his twin sister up until an hour ago when it had hit him: what if she suddenly decided she didn’t want to see him? He remembered her being quite impulsive and how she had told him she wasn’t Aversa’s biggest fan when she showed up at their mother’s house years ago. For what felt like the hundredth time, Robin unlocked his phone and looked at the chat between Reflet and him.

 

**reflet** _Today at 1:18 PM_

we’re parked in front of your place! i can’t wait to see you

neither can lissa apparently you remember her right? i think i brought her up a few times before

maybe she’s our long lost triplet lmao

**reflet** _Today at 1:31 PM_

gods that was crappy of me to say wasn’t it

sorry

 

He sighed, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. He wasn’t mad at her, it would be silly for him to be upset over a joke like that. Reflet was probably just as nervous as he was but, unlike her who couldn’t stop talking when anxious, he...couldn’t say anything. The phone automatically locked as it had the last few times he took too long to reply leaving him to stare at his reflection in the black screen.

“I think since I’ve been stuck back here most of the ride with Mr. Crankypants I deserve a McFlurry.” Gaius suddenly said from the back. Robin didn’t respond, he just unlocked his phone again.

_lmao its f-_

_don’t worry it was funn-_

_haha i-_

“And I think since I’ve been driving with you snoring this whole time I deserve to turn you inside out but we all can’t get what we want.” Tharja muttered.

“Damn, Sunshine, that’s kinky but I’m a taken man.”

The car made a sharp turn into a parking lot in front of variety of stores and she unbuckled her seatbelt. Robin, who had still been focused on his phone, looked up just in time to see Tharja lunge and Gaius put his foot on her chest to keep her back. She gasped and glared, letting out a growl before doubling her efforts to get to the man. Her long fingers and sharp black nails wiggled threateningly in his direction as she cursed at him.

Robin watched the two bicker before finally processing what was going on and went to grab Tharja back by her waist. “You can’t choke my boyfriend in a Whole Foods parking lot!”

“There’s also a Denny’s here.”  
“You’re not helping, Gaius!”

The three struggled for a while, with Tharja showing no sign of giving up, before Robin finally managed to tug her back and into her seat. She turned to face Gaius once more and mouthed something to him that Robin couldn’t catch. The only response she got from the man was a snort. With that over, Robin found himself looking at the shops in the plaza they had stopped in.

He had already noticed the supermarket, they were still parked in front of it, and as Gaius had said there was also a Denny’s near the other entrance of the area. A small cellular store sat between a boutique and what looked like a gym. There were a lot of little stores and Robin was impressed they could fit them all here but a restaurant with outdoor seating next to flower shop caught his interest.

It stood out a bit, with its stone fence and tables and a pebble path that lead to the entrance of the building. The large umbrellas over the tables were a rust red with edges of gold. The same gold was used on the writing on the windows of the shop, which Robin had to squint to read from the distance he was at. The only thing he could pick up was what he assumed is the name:

_Gregor’s_.

“Sun getting in your eyes, Bubbles?” A faint click came from in front of Robin and he turned as Gaius pulled down the sun visor for him. “Noticed ya squinting in the mirror.”

It wasn’t but he found the gesture sweet. He smiled softly and thanked him with a kiss on the cheek which Gaius responded with by pressing his cheek against his lips for more. Robin scoffed but gave him a few more then pulled back. “I was just looking at that place over there. You said you were hungry, right?”

“Yeah but what are we going to do with that,” Gaius pointed at the carrier next to his seat then at Tharja. “And her.”

He was roughly shoved back into his seat by said person. She then turned off the car while scowling at him. “He’s not sitting at the table.” With that, she got out and closed the door.

Robin sighed and shook his head as he watched his friend walk in the direction of the restaurant. At least they managed to make it here without someone getting cursed or killed, he reminded himself as he reached for his bag and pulled out a harness. “Do you think they would mind? I don’t want to leave him in the car.”  
  
“Don’t know. Let’s go find out.”

 

* * *

 

Thankfully, Tharja had asked the owner for him before they actually made it over there. Apparently the owner was also fine with the group sitting indoors but Robin felt guilty about the noise and possible mess they would leave behind and decided to sit outside. As Tharja said, she didn’t allow Gaius to sit at their table after the waitress dropped off their drinks. This left him to pout at the only other outdoor table while sipping on a drink made with peaches, cinnamon, and extra honey at his request.

In his spot sat Grima in his purple harness, sniffing at a bowl of ice water the waitress was kind enough to bring. Robin rubbed the hairless cat’s back as Tharja went over the menu and played with the straw in her drink.

“I’m not familiar with food from Ferox…” Tharja said as she flipped the menu over.

“I’m not familiar with the menu.” Gaius responded from his table.

“You had your chance.”

“I had two minutes with it.”  
“How is it my problem you spent your time here unwisely? You should be grateful I was feeling kind enough to give that to you.”

Gaius rolled his eyes and Robin mouthed an apology in his direction before pointing at his phone. He raised a brow. Robin chuckled softly and pointed at the menu in front of him. He had managed to take a picture of it without Tharja noticing in the middle of their little talk. After checking his phone, Gaius grinned and blew him a kiss.

 

* * *

 

“How are you feeling, Bubbles?”

They had gotten through the rest of their lunch without anymore problems (Gaius was even allowed to rejoin their table) and were now only a few minutes away from their new home. They had gone back to their original seats, figuring it wouldn’t make sense to switch drivers when they were so close already, leaving Robin to stare at his phone again. It had been two hours at this point and he still hadn’t responded.

“Nervous? Excited? A little queasy.” He responded honestly, though he had a feeling that last part was mostly because he had shared dessert with his boyfriend. If taking two bites then watching him eat the rest really counted as sharing.

They passed security with ease and turned into the parking lot. Tharja found the spots reserved for their apartment number and was out the car as soon as it was parked and the engine was turned off. Robin didn’t blame her, it had been a long drive and he would be rushing out the car as well if he wasn’t so worried of what was out there. A hand grabbed his shoulder and gently squeezed.

“It’ll be fine, Bubbles.” With that, Gaius hopped out the car and stretched. Robin let out a long sigh, trying to calm himself, then got out as well. His boyfriend grinned at him. “If anything happens I’m sure Sunshine over there has some spells she can use.” Robin couldn’t help but snort at that.

“Oh, you’re laughing but remember when I got my first cavity? All her fault.”  
What started off as a small snort ended up being full blown laughter at the memory. Even Tharja chuckled a bit. “Gaius, my dear, that was all you.” He opened his mouth to respond but instead turned his head at the sound of loud footsteps. Robin went to look at what he was looking at and froze.

Running at them at full speed was a woman with Robin’s face. A very determined and angry Robin face. She slowed down as she got closer and Gaius stepped out the way. Robin could only stare as she panted in front of him, clutching her phone tightly. “Ref-” He tried.

“You! Gods, I thought something happened when you didn’t respond! I would’ve been fine with anything- you could’ve said “k” and I would’ve thought “cool my joke was poorly timed but at least he’s alive” but nooo,” She threw her arms up. “Someone had to just not respond then show up two hours after!”

The two stood there in silence for a while, just looking at each other. While Robin did feel guilty for making her worry he also felt relieved at how familiar this felt. Even though she now had more muscle than him, Robin could tell that they were at least the same height still. Their personalities still seemed to be completely different but after all of this time, she was still his sister. “I’m sorry, Ref.” He finally said.

Her expression softened and she dropped her arms. “It’s...it’s fine. I was just worried.” She began to lift her arms but stopped herself and let them drop again. “Can, uh...can I hug you?”

Robin nodded and moved to wrap his arms around her before she could react. She returned the hug and buried her face in his shoulder. “I missed you, Robin.”

“I missed you too, Ref.”

“You have a lot to explain, mister.”

“You’re right, I do.” He chuckled as his twin pulled away, ignoring the wet spot on his shirt. “Let’s talk more inside, it’s hot out here.”

“Don’t get me started. Let me grab my friends and we can head in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got stuck multiple times :') but finally got this done i'm sure there's some mistakes i missed while editing but i sure did try my best


End file.
